Not necessarily when you are learning zac - early on it may be too much responsibility for the man to keep to the music and also set the timing. I think following is something that blossoms in time, its not a natural thing to do.

I think following is something that blossoms in time, its not a natural thing to do.

I agree with you there, but I think for a follow to be able to recieve a lead optimally, she has to understand the music a little bit. Enough to have some idea of where he might maybe go next. Not to guess ahead, but just to be prepared for the possibility.

And call me a bad follow, but if my lead's off time, I'll tell him. I'll follow him, but I'll let him know. It's not hard for either of us to slip back into time, so there's no point continuing to dance off the beat.

And call me a bad follow, but if my lead's off time, I'll tell him. I'll follow him, but I'll let him know. It's not hard for either of us to slip back into time, so there's no point continuing to dance off the beat.

Which is fine if you're just completely off the beat. If it were me, chances are I'd already know and I was struggling to find a way to get back on. This is one area where my instructor and I sometimes disagree -- her opinion is that it's usually better to stop and reset. I take the stage-performer attitude that I'll try anything else before I'll stop.

However... one of the few things that a follow can do to really irritate me is to challenge my idea of where to be in relation to the beat. If I want to dance slightly ahead or slightly behind the beat, that's my prerogative as the lead. If the follow tries to force me into the timing she wants, that makes for a very unpleasant dance IHMO.

This may seem a little strange - but for some of us the movement and the music and the dance are inseperable.

What you seem to be advocating is practising to play the piano on a silent piano. I would no more want to practise dance without the music than I would want to practice finger excercises on the piano without hearing the notes.

What you seem to be advocating is practising to play the piano on a silent piano. I would no more want to practise dance without the music than I would want to practice finger excercises on the piano without hearing the notes.

No, not at all. They are completely different. When you play piano, you press the keys, and you expect to hear a sound. To not hear a sound is unnerving.

With dancing, the music is something you add in afterwards. You don't dance to produce the music. The music helps you produce the dance.

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This may seem a little strange - but for some of us the movement and the music and the dance are inseperable.

And for most of us they are seperable. That is what we are all trying to tell you/

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Dance is a musical activity first, and a physcial activity second

I disagree. Without the music, you can still dance. If you tried to be musical without actually dancing, you might as well be sitting at home on the couch, listening to the radio.

my point was that if your really struggling with the music on your not going to ingrain bad habbits into your dancing just to fit it to the music, you would slowly work it out first get it right and then go to music, or trying it with slower music to make sure the technique is right and then go to full speed. Have you not done that before?

Zac

When I practise, I always practise to the correct tempo first. Then I slow it down a fraction and dance to that, then I speed it up a fraction and dance to that. So I learn to adapt to different music. End of the day, I dance to the music. But that's just me.

When I practise, I always practise to the correct tempo first. Then I slow it down a fraction and dance to that, then I speed it up a fraction and dance to that. So I learn to adapt to different music. End of the day, I dance to the music. But that's just me.

This is after you know the steps though? You don't just blunder into the dance having no idea what you're doing.

When I practise, I always practise to the correct tempo first. Then I slow it down a fraction and dance to that, then I speed it up a fraction and dance to that. So I learn to adapt to different music. End of the day, I dance to the music. But that's just me.

This is after you know the steps though? You don't just blunder into the dance having no idea what you're doing.

What you seem to be advocating is practising to play the piano on a silent piano. I would no more want to practise dance without the music than I would want to practice finger excercises on the piano without hearing the notes.

No, not at all. They are completely different. When you play piano, you press the keys, and you expect to hear a sound. To not hear a sound is unnerving.

With dancing, the music is something you add in afterwards. You don't dance to produce the music. The music helps you produce the dance.

Quote

This may seem a little strange - but for some of us the movement and the music and the dance are inseperable.

And for most of us they are seperable. That is what we are all trying to tell you/

Quote

Dance is a musical activity first, and a physcial activity second

I disagree. Without the music, you can still dance. If you tried to be musical without actually dancing, you might as well be sitting at home on the couch, listening to the radio.

When I practise, I always practise to the correct tempo first. Then I slow it down a fraction and dance to that, then I speed it up a fraction and dance to that. So I learn to adapt to different music. End of the day, I dance to the music. But that's just me.

This is after you know the steps though? You don't just blunder into the dance having no idea what you're doing.

I do that without music.

So if music was playing could you still do these early stages? Would you just blot it out or would it get in the way?

This may seem a little strange - but for some of us the movement and the music and the dance are inseperable.

What you seem to be advocating is practising to play the piano on a silent piano. I would no more want to practise dance without the music than I would want to practice finger excercises on the piano without hearing the notes.

Dance is a musical activity first, and a physcial activity second.

Funny you would use this analogy. As a pianist (although not nearly as accomplished) , I was made to practice on just such an instrument (which, incidentally, belonged to my teacher who is a very well known concert pianist). It is a shame that, for you, music and dance is so limiting. I find these 2 things to be of the most free, versatile, and liberating things in life.

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The most beautiful part of the dance is often found in between the steps... and in the movement within the stillness.

Maybe timing is more elusive than we think. I am terrible with timing and now that we dance pre champ all the syncopation plays yet more havoc with my already fragile sense of being on time. My partner says I am too fast and the videos prove her right. Until I am comfortable with my sequences my timng wont improve. But if you see someone you think is off time and tell them so and they respond they are just fine then what the h**l are they listening to? maybe no one is on time or maybe there is more than one sense of timing.